Thanks for sharing Dawn. Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. You can read more about Talmudic interpretations and the rabbis' view of Vashti, by exploring the Jewish Women's Archive. A queen cons, Vasconcelos, Bernardo Pereira de (17951850), Vasilii III (Muscovy) (14791533; ruled 15051533), https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/vashti. She remonstrated with him: "If they consider me beautiful, they will want to enjoy me themselves, and will kill you; if they consider me plain, I shall be a disgrace to you" (Est. When King Ahasuerus, in the third year of his reign, held a banquet "for all the people that were found in *Shushan" in the king's gardens, Queen Vashti also held a banquet in the palace. Through Gods Eyes: Marriage Lessons for Women, The Best Way To Deal With Unmet Expectations In Marriage, Kindness in the Bible (Plus 1 Timeless Example), What is Idolatry? in the royal house which belonged to Ahasuerus; her guests not being so many, there was room enough in the king's palace for them, and where it was more decent for them to be than in the open air in the garden, and exposed to the sight of men. 2). Buber], version B, para. Annette Marie Griffin is an award-winning author and speaker who has managed and directed childrens and youth programs for more than 20 years. But what? But this was a case where nothing she did would have been right. All rights reserved. Like ancient commentaries, modern versions are rife with opportunities for reimagining Vashti. From the citadel of Susa, a Persian king by the name of Xerxes (or Ahasuerus) ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. The celebration lasted for six months (Esther 1:4-8). However, it is possible that Artaxerxes restored some of her power after Xerxes died. On the final day of the banquets, King Xerxes and presumably all the other male imbibers were in high spirits from wine. In his drunken stupor, the king had a brilliant idea to bring down the house with a final display of his superiority. The writer of the book of Esther seems to refrain from comment on whether the actions of the king or queen are right or wrong. He asks several noblemen at his party how he should punish the queen for her disobedience, and one of them, one of the eunuchs named Memucan, suggests that she should be punished severely. Such fiery trials are part and parcel of the Christian experience. Darius used little Vashti to cement his own legacy by marrying her to one of his most faithful vassals, a promising young military man named Ahasuerus. It lasted half a year. Esther 1 ESV - The King's Banquets - Now in the - Bible Gateway Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/who-was-vashti-2076497. It probably meant she should appear with her face uncovered, in the richly embroidered clothes and extraordinary jewels she owned: in all her glory. Vashti can teach us women so much about standing up for our own dignity. Some of the most intriguing people in Scripture are not those who take center stage during Sunday School lessons or Bible studies. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Something had to be done about his wifes rebellion. Men who werent even thinking straight because of all the liquor they had consumed. 1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. Not to mention how shocked (and excited) the men who were at the kings ball would have been? The palace was in an uproar after the disaster. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/vashti, "Vashti For six long months, he wined and dined the most important players in the empire: the military men of Persia and Medea, the wealthy patricians, and the regional governors. What Does the Bible Say About a Disrespectful Wife? Because she chose to stand up for herself, Queen Vashti was banished from the kingdom. Weve read the story many times. In the biblical Book of Esther, Vashti appears only briefly. Vashti was smart, and cared about herself more than what others thought. She was as immoral as her husband (Meg. Song R. 3:5), Belshazzar, before he was murdered. According to themidrash,Vashti () was the great-granddaughter of King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon and the daughter of King Belshazzar, making her a Babylonian. 9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus. But someone else had a more legitimate claim to that throne. 9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus. ." But she is a heroine of the Scriptures. Ahasuerus was not yet king he was merely angling to become the monarch of a newly-formed empire. Controversy over Vashtis characterNot all Jewish history and commentary agree that Vashti acted honorably. He did not expect her to be modest in presenting herself. 12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the kings command conveyed by the eunuchs. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. Enduring Word Bible Commentary Esther Chapter 1 Encyclopaedia Judaica. In this piece, I offer a composite portrait based on the many different ancient Jewish interpretations. But they were different in many ways. All is in vain. ). Esther disobeyed the king but she did so with much wisdom, backed by prayer, and an elaborate strategy. It may sound glamorous, but the harem of an ancient Middle Eastern king was a dangerous place to live. Vashti was a noble queen and a vicious antisemite; a traditional Persian princess and a proto-feminist agitator. She witnessed the Persian conquest of Babylon from her father, Belshazzar. Vashti in the Bible - Her Story and Why She Was Banished Queens are female sovereigns. Immediately preceding Artaxerxes I in the line of Persian kings, Ahasuerus is evidently to be identified with Xerxes. He belittled Vashtis position as queen by treating her as just another possession. There were gold and silver articles everywhere. He ordered his chief eunuchs to carry out a bizarre command: to bring Queen Vashti to stand before his courtiers and show off her exceptional beauty. Gabriel is so touched he removes the ineffable name of God from the Book of Esther and entrusts it to Vashti, who thus ascends to ineffable heights as she removes herself from Ahasuerus sight. Signs of a Disrespectful Wife: Ahasuerus & Vashti Dont entertain disrespect of your godly standards. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Based on the identity of Vashti with Amestris, historians have tried to work out a detailed chronology where the known events in Persian history are reconciled with the events in the book of Esther. In the modern world, Vashti's name is believed to mean "beautiful," but there have been various etymological attempts to understand the word as something more akin to "that drinks" or "drunkenness.". "Vashti in the Bible." When the king saw his queen, Xerxes lowered his golden scepter to invite Esther into his presence. Vashti did not follow the principle of submission found inEphesians 5:22-24. shrsl_ShareASale_liveWid_Init(36126, 1398623, 'shrsl_ShareASale_liveWid_mediumRectangle_populate'); The Bible commanded husbands to love their wives while the women were given the instruction to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22, 24). Vashti is one of my favorites in Scripture. Share them with us in the comments section below. More like a feast. Now that we have learned a little about Queen Vashtis character, what lessons can we draw from her life to apply to ours? It lasted six months, and its extraordinary extravagance was meant to showcase Ahasuerus empire and his vast wealth. i. Salem Media Group. If you are a Bible study teacher, you are free to allow this content to influence the lessons you teach or the sermons you present. Queen Vashtis story unfolds during this time. Vashti is seen as a strong character who does not use her beauty or sexuality to advance herself, which some argue is exactly what Esther does later in the text. The trap has closed around Vashti with terrible finality: If Vashti obeys the summons, the rightful queen will become a laughingstock to every man and woman in Persia. Amen. She had received a direct order from her husband the king. ), or by fear for Ahasuerus' life. To celebrate, King Ahasuerus threw a party. There are simple ways we can be disrespectful to our husbands without even realizing it. Although Esther and Mordecai are the heroes of the Purim story, some see Vashti has a heroine in her own right. Her refusal was occasioned either by the fact that she was suffering from leprosy (ibid. Ahasuerus and Vashti: The Story Megillat Esther Does Not Tell You When Ahasuerus sent out his seven messengers to spring his trap, not one serving woman or noblewoman in Vashtis well-populated wing of the palace stepped forward to shield her. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Revised Standard Version (RSV). Distraught and in mourning over the decree, Mordechai sent word to Esther about the impending doom and asked her to plead for the kings mercy. God bless. Queen Vashti was the first lady of the largest nation on earth at that time. Of course, he did! There, before all his most important subjects, he was confronted by a disobedient wife. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them (Esther 8:17). The punishment KingAhasuerus gives to Queen Vashti is recorded in Est. Though the text says that Ahasuerus remembered Vashti in the morning (presumably with some regret) the next verse moves swiftly to the search for a new queen, leaving us to ask: What actually happened to Vashti? The day originally appointed for their annihilation became a day of redemption. So glad you found this post useful. At the end of that time, Esther would approach the king, and if she perished, she perished (Esther 4:15-17). Born of Bath-Sheba, Solomon was so named by David (ii S, ELISHA (Heb. I recently started doing a study on Vashti, as the messages Ive heard always were on how she lost everything because of her disobedience, and was replaced. The punishment King Ahasuerus gives to Queen Vashti is recorded in Est. At the end of it, Ahasuerus held a prolonged dinner party for his chief advisers and courtiers. Midrash Esther Rabbah and Yalkut Meam Loez imagine the queen, secure as she was in her blue-blooded superiority, was a ruthless tyrant and serial abuser of her underlings. We should not do anything that dishonors God. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. ), the king of Persia, Vashti is the featured character in the first episode of the Book of Esther, a Jewish novella composed in the late Persian/early Hellenistic period (fourth century B.C.E.). At this the king was enraged, and his anger burned within him. The name Esther is probably from Old Persia, Solomon Im guilty of having done both of those things. Those who have no respect for your standards will not respect you either. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:12). Her refusal is yet another clue to the nature of the king's command. When Ahasuerus nevertheless repeated his request, Vashti insulted him by reminding him of his lowly descent as servant to her father (cf. And it is always worth it to follow the right path. 1049). When King Ahasuerus, in the third year of his reign, held a banquet "for all the people that were found in *Shushan" in the king's gardens, Queen Vashti also held a banquet in the palace. For her actions Queen Vashti would have been killed and dismembered. 2 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. As husbands and wives, we need to bend our will to Gods way. (Thats right! She sent a reminder to her uncle that any woman who attempted to appear uninvited before the king would be killed. Esther 1 RSV - King Ahasuerus Deposes Queen Vashti - Bible Gateway Esther and Vashti | Sefaria A queen regnant rules a kingdom in her own right (or, in rare cases, by sharing power with a king). As far as Berlin is concerned, Vashti could not have been more humiliated if Ahasuerus had asked her to appear naked. Vashti: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive Or did she do the right thing when she refused to obey Ahasuerus? 7Drinks were served in golden goblets, goblets of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. King Ahasuerus likes this idea, so the punishment is carried out, and soon, a massive, kingdom-wide search is launched for a beautiful woman to replace Vashti as queen. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Being disobedient to your husbandobedience is a big thing to God. This decision changed her destiny and changed the course of history. "Vashti 85; L.B. According to the Talmud, Vashti left no legacy of kindness, social change or concern for any other woman who was not of her own color, class and breeding. But we catch a glimpse of her royal life in the first book of Esther, during her husband's third year of reign. If he didnt care for her,Biblestudytools.com explains, she would live the rest of her life as a widow in a section of the harem reserved for concubines (2 Samuel 20:3). It was unheard of. "Vashti the Queen also made a feast for the women of the royal household of King Ahasuerus." (Esther 1:9) There are overt political overtones of Vashti's parallel party. The plot and themes of "the whole Megillah. I need a little more Vashti in me! For Ahasuerus to summon his noble wife to a mens drinking establishment was to treat her as a serving wench or a dancing girl, since the only women present at such a gathering were there to pleasure the male guests. When King Ahasuerus is informed of Vashti's refusal, he is furious. The Talmud (Chagigah 3b) describes a lesson taught by Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria in the great yeshivah at Yavneh. But not to worry. The text is not clear, but there are some scholars who believe that Vashti was asked to appear injusther crown. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. Answer. Vashti disobeys her drunken husband. From the citadel of Susa, a Persian king by the name of Xerxes (or Ahasuerus) ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. We all need a Vashti spirit! Esther 1-7 NRSVUE - King Ahasuerus Deposes Queen Vashti - Bible Gateway Who was Queen Vashti and is she found anywhere else besides the - HCNA Otherwise, things outside of you will determine the direction you take in life. In popular Jewish imagination, Ahasuerus is an illegitimate usurper king, and his royal wife, Vashti, is a grotesque Jew-hating villain, who gets what she deserves. must have been a member of one of the powerful and aristocratic families in the Persian empire. SOLOMON Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). The Bible only says that Vashti was banished. And that was enough for her. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. By: Gerson B. Levi, Kaufmann Kohler, George A. Barton Table of Contents Biblical Data: In Rabbinical Literature: Critical View: Biblical Data: 1. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. But, lets take a few minutes to really look into this story in the context of todays lesson: its never okay to be a disrespectful wife. Paton, Esther (icc, 1908), 6667, 8889, 142ff. Why Was Vashti so Important in Esther's Story? - Christianity It lasted half a year. What happen to Silas after he and Paul separated? Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30 ESV). Vashti was the wife of King Xerxes I (Ahasuerus in the Biblical text), and she may have been associated with Persian nobility (though the wives of Persian kings were required to come from specific Persian noble families, this was not always the case). QUEEN VASHTI, Bible woman married to a dangerous fool 2023
5-letter Word 3rd Letter A 4th Letter C,
Vishnu Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram,
Body Language Experts Debunked,
Articles K